In a down economy, it’s inspiring to see so many entrepreneurial spirits. But, if you’re going to be selling a product, you’re going to need a barcode.

If you’re in the US, you’ll need to visit the GS1 website. Then, fill out the application. You’ll need to know estimated annual sales, approximate number of products you need barcodes for and contact information. From there, you’ll receive a GS1 company prefix, which can be used to create the barcode numbers for every product that you plan on selling.

However, getting a barcode is not free. The initial fee is approximately $760 for 100 barcodes, but varies. This also includes licensing to your company prefix for the year, and a smaller annual renewal fee will reoccur in order to continue using the prefix.

Once you’ve applied, received your prefix and paid, you’ll need to create a UPC barcode. Check out our free barcode generator and learn more about barcoding your product.

If you’re launching a new product, or want to give your goods more visibility on the web, Amazon.com is a great way to go. There’s only one catch—if you want to sell products on Amazon, you’ll need a barcode. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1
If you’re in the US, you’ll want to choose a UPC (Universal Product Code) and if you’re in the UK, you’ll want to choose an EAN (European Article Number)*. Folks in the US should contact the GS1-US and people in the rest of the world should contact the GS1 regarding a membership application. Once you are a member (note: there is an annual fee), you will be assigned a unique company code to use on all of your products. This number will act as a prefix for your barcode. The rest of the barcode will be comprised for each specific product, since each number must be unique for the product and size. For example, if you are selling homemade shampoo in a 12 oz. bottle and 16 oz. bottle, that would require two different numbers.

*If you are self-publishing a book, you will need to use an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), or if you need to barcode a monthly publication, you will need to use the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN).

Read the rest of this entry »

People often use Microsoft Office for barcode purposes. In order to insert a barcode manually, a side administrator would configure a barcode policy for a library, and the barcodes would be automatically generated on the server for the documents in that list. Once this is complete the barcode can be inserted by performing the following:

1. Open the Library
2. Choose the document you want, then click Edit and choose the program that you would like to use, i.e. Word, etc.
3. Place your cursor where you want to insert the barcode within the document.
4. Go to the Insert tab and choose barcode (this option only appears if a barcode policy is in effect for a server document)
5. Click the Microsoft Office button image, then choose Save.

For more information on inserting a barcode in Microsoft, learn more here.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve “Googled” something today, you may have noticed that the Google logo for the day is none other than a barcode. While Google typically changes its logo for certain holidays, what is the significance of the barcode today? Today, October 7, 2009, is the 57th anniversary of the first patent of the barcode, so Google changed their logo to commemorate this important event in history.

Norman Woodland and Bernard Silver filed the first patent in October of 1949, which was then granted patent No. 2,612,994 on October 7, 1952. Although the patent was granted in 1952, barcodes were not implemented until June 26, 1974. Thus, the 57th anniversary of the first patent is today, while the barcode experienced its 35th birthday on June 26, 2009.

While it may have taken 22 years to take the barcode from a patent to a full implementation, the barcode continues to be used in today’s world of business.

A few months ago, New York began offering “Enhanced Driver’s Licenses” (EDLs) that contain embedded RFID chips. The RFID chips can be scanned by border patrols in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, allowing RFID chip license holders to travel passport free.

If you’re weary that having an RFID license means that you can be constantly tracked, put your worries to rest. Authorities assure that the RFID chip will not store or transmit any vital personal information, only an ID number.

To get an Enhanced New York license with an RFID chip, it only costs $30 more than the standard $50 licensing fee. When you consider the time, money, and trouble it takes to get a passport, the Enhanced Driver’s License is definitely worth it.

Lauren Miller, a New Yorker, stated, “When I needed to get a new license, I saw an option for the enhanced license and asked what it meant. After receiving an explanation, I thought the enhanced license would be an excellent option for me since I travel to Canada a lot for business. Not having to worry about my passport is definitely worth the extra $30.”

Currently, Enhanced Driver’s Licenses are only available in New York and Washington State, but other states will soon follow suit.